


As a Team

by Grimecesty



Category: The Walking Dead
Genre: First Kiss, Incest, Like, Love Confession, M/M, Oh, Underage Kissing, alternate universe-modern life, cause i just want Carl to have a childhood, father/son relationship, if you dont like this, im done, the apocalypse never happens and never will, then please stop before you start sweetie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-03 18:28:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5302211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grimecesty/pseuds/Grimecesty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyday life of Rick and Carl after the divorce and how they end up together</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So I'm new (Not to archive but to the fandom) and I wasn't originally going to post this as my first fic, I have my other one half way done but my laptop's charger broke so I wrote this on my phone just to get my fix and ended up being a 5k+ which I'm quite shocked over because I don't usually get this far, but hey, I'm happy with the outcome. Well, enjoy!!

It was nearly bed time. Rick's had a long day at work, and he was just about to crash on the couch. Him and Carl watched a good 2 1/2 hours worth of movies and somehow, the kid still seemed to be wide awake.

"C'mon kiddo, I think it's time for bed, dontcha think?" 

Carl turned his head and looked at his father with a smile, "Dad, I'm 16, it's only 10. Can't I stay up just a little longer?"

Rick chuckled, "You have to get up at 6 in the morning, you have school, remember?"

The mention of school caused Carl to groan, "That hell hole? I'm trying not to."

"Hey," Rick gave him a look, "watch your language, ya hear?" Carl nodded with a sheepish look. Rick sighed, "You can stay up for another hour, and I'm trusting you to follow that, okay? I want you in bed by 11."

Carl rolled his eyes but smiled nonetheless, "Alright dad, go to bed, you have work."

Rick scoffed before leaning down and kissing Carl's head softly, "Yes dad."

Carl batted him away before turning back to the T.V., causing another chuckle to come out of Rick as he walked towards the stairs, "Night Carl, I love you."

Without taking his eyes off his screen, he replied, "I love you too." 

Rick smiled and shook his head before continuing up the stairs to his room. He walked in and closed the door enough so that it was ajar. Carl had nightmares frequently. They started when he was 6 and only got worse when Lori left. He always found comfort within his dad, he never minded though, it always made him feel good knowing his son still needed him instead of distancing himself like you'd think.

Rick climbed under the covers and reached over and clicked his light off before settling down and relaxing, closing his eyes and then drifted off.

\---

"Dad."

Rick's face scrunched up slightly before relaxing. 

"Dad." There was a sniffle. Someone was shaking him, "Daddy."

"Carl?" He opened his eyes slightly, his eyelids still heavy. He closed them again before sitting up slightly and turned his light on, blinking a few times to get use to the brightness before looking back at his son.

Carl was standing there, eyes red and puffy, and tear streaks down his cheek. His lower lip was wobbly, as if he was trying to hold in more tears. Then realization hit him.

His eyes softened, "Oh baby," he pulled the blankets from the other side down and opened his arms, "Come here."

Carl didn't hesitate, he crawled under the covers and went right into his father's arms. He relaxed against his dad's chest as he felt those strong arms tighten around him and let out a deep breath as his dad dropped a kiss onto his head.

"You're okay sweetheart."

And Carl broke into sobs after those words. He balled his dad's t-shirt in his fists and cried into his chest. All the while, Rick was rubbing his back up and down.

"I know baby, you're okay. Shh, shh, you're okay."

Rick held his trembling boy in his arms and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. After, what felt like hours, but was only 5 minutes, Carl's calmed down some, taking deep, hiccuping breaths. 

"Do you want to talk about it?" Rick asked, still rubbing his back.

It was quiet for a few moments before Carl attempted to speak, "Y-you," Another hiccup, "You--" Another sob broke from him, shaking his whole body again.

"It's okay, you're okay, I promise," Rick said, kissing his son's head and rubbing his back.

Carl took a deep breath before trying again, "You-you and mom were figh-ting, a-and," Another hiccup, Rick kept rubbing his back, "you le-left. S-said you'd ne-ever come ba-back." Carl broke into another fit of sobs and held onto Rick tighter than he was before.

"Hey, hey, no shh, shh, it's okay, c'mon baby, you're okay. I'm here, I'm right here, never going to leave you baby, I promise." 

Rick held Carl through it all, whispering comforting words to him and kept rubbing his back until Carl finally calmed down again.

Rick pulled Carl back, not far but enough to look at his son's tear-stained face, "You okay?"

Carl closed his eyes and nodded, sniffling. 

Rick brushed his fingers through his son's soft hair and kissed his forehead before looking back at his son.

"I want you to hear me, alright?" Rick asked as gently as he can. Once Carl nodded, Rick continued, "I will never, ever leave you, ya understand? You're the best thing that's happened to me Carl, and I wouldn't give you up for anything, okay? I love you so much, you're my whole entire world. I would never ever leave you. Now, I wish I can say the same for your mother but that's her choice, she has no idea what she just lost, but what matters is that I have you, and I'll never leave you. God, I love you so much," Rick pulled Carl back into his arms and cradled him close, "I love you," He whispered.

"I love you too," Carl whispered, holding on tightly to his father. Rick stroked the back Carl's head gently and slightly rocked them. He kissed his head one more  
time after a while before pulling away, "How about we lay down now, yeah?"

Carl nodded and as the two lied down, Rick took a quick glance at the clock on his night stand. 3:30 AM.

"G'night dad.." Carl said, voice slurred with sleep. He cuddled closer to his dad and laid his head on his dad's chest, "Luhhh you..."

Rick ran his fingers through his son's hair again, "Good night baby, I love you too." And closed his eyes and fell asleep.

\--

The alarm wouldn't shut up. Rick lifted his arm and started slapping his hand on his dresser until it hit the snooze button. He groaned and opened his eyes before looking back at his son, who was still laying down on his chest, deep asleep. 

He smiled lightly and kissed his head before relaxing for a few more minutes. He closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his soft, brown hair and stayed content with the silence.

But after a few minutes, Rick knew he couldn't stay like this.

It pained him to do this, but he had to wake him up. 

"Carl," He whispered, shaking his shoulder with the arm that was wrapped around him. Carl only gave a grunt with a scrunched up face before relaxing back against the firm heat.

"Hey, Carl," Rick tried again, "C'mon buddy, it's time to get up." 

Carl's eyes fluttered before opening slightly then closing again with a groan.

Rick chuckled, "I know kiddo, but c'mon, you have school."

Carl nodded before gently pushing himself up and balancing  
himself on one hand and looking at his dad with sleepy eyes. And Rick can tell Carl's barley gotten any sleep, the dark bags under his eyes were enough proof for him. So he did the one thing he can think of.

Rick sat up and looked at his son, "How about this kiddo, I can tell you've been losing sleep, and last night didn't help, so how about you just stay home today and catch up on some sleep, yeah?"

And who was Carl to argue with that? He nodded before dropping down onto the pillows with a sigh.

Rick chuckled again before climbing out of bed and throwing the covers back onto Carl, "I'll be in the shower, okay? You rest alright?"

Carl gave a lazy nod, making Rick smile softly before padding off to the master bathroom for a quick shower.

\--

By the time Rick was out of the shower, Carl was dead to the world. Rick smiled again and dug around for his clothes. He dropped the towel before putting on his briefs quickly and then grabbed his pants. He grabbed his crisp white t-shirt and his officers shirt and slipped those on as well. He put his belt on, clicked his holster and put his badges on. He grabbed his gun under his clothes from inside the drawer and made sure the safety was on before stuffing it into the holster. He looked back at Carl before grabbing a piece of paper and pen on the night stand and wrote a quick note:

'Carl, my shift ends at 4, unless something comes up. If you need anything, you're welcome to take the other car. I'll leave cash next to the coffee pot. Love you -Dad'

He set the pen down and gave one last glance at his son before grabbing his hat and placing it on his head and quietly exited out of the room, careful not to wake Carl. He made his way downstairs and grabbed his coffee cup that Carl got him for his birthday last year, filled it with the coffee he made the night before, making sure it was warm, before putting creamer in it and then snapping the lid onto the cup and made his way to the front door. 

\---

Once he arrived to the station, he walked in, tipping his hat as a greeting to those who nodded or waved. He walked to his desk and set his coffee cup down and looked through the files that was piled up. He sighed. He knew he wouldn't have time to do all of this. He had to patrol around the town with Shane. Something that wasn't as too pleasant for him but after a month of everything going down, most of the awkward tension had evaporated. Rick still refuses to make a conversation with him though, strictly business. 

No matter how many times Shane asks for forgiveness, or that Lori didn't mean for anything to happen, Rick still felt anger towards them. He's not angry that Lori cheated on him or that his best friend betrayed him, no, he was over all that, he was angry that Lori left Carl. She left without hesitation, leaving Carl heartbroken. Carl needed both of his parents but Lori left him behind, starting a new life with Shane. Only once has she called and that was just so she can arrange a time where she can get the rest of her stuff out from the house.

Rick got through half of his files but when noon hit, Shane knocked on his door frame, "Are you ready?"

Rick sighed and closed the file he was looking through and nodded. He set the folders aside, careful not to mix the complete ones with the incomplete ones. He stood, grabbed his hat that he discarded and placed it on his head before grabbing the keys to the cop car. They set off to the car in silence, same thing everyday.

Before Rick got in the car, he pulled his phone out and checked to see if Carl's called or texted. Nothing. Rick stuffed his phone back into his pant pocket before opening the driver side door and sliding in.

The drive was silent, the only noise in the car was from the radio signals. They drove around town, making sure everything was in tack, nothing too bad happening. 

Right now, they pulled to an empty parking lot of a dentist office on a hill that gave a good view of the town. 

Again, the silence continued for them. Shane's stopped trying to make small conversation with Rick, knowing it was completely useless. 

Rick took off his hat and ran his hand through his hair before placing it back on his head. He looked out his window, admiring the view of the town he grew up in most of his life. After a few minutes, a phone started to ring. 

Rick looked at his phone that he set in the cup holder and saw that it was Carl trying to call. He gave a small smile before picking it up and answering.

"Well, look who finally woke up," Rick joked with an amused smile on his face. He heard Shane give a fake cough but ignored him.

Carl chuckled on the other end, "Well, I woke up around 10. I totally forgot you had work so I was really disappointed when I couldn't find you," That made Rick's heart ache and a soft smile to appear on his face, he can hear the frown in Carl's voice, "but," Carl continued, perking up a bit, "I found your note. Then I went downstairs, watched T.V. and then I fell back asleep. But only for an hour. But right now I'm at the store 'cause we needed to go shopping and so I'm just wondering what you wanted for dinner."

Ricl chuckled, "Whatever's fine, Carl, you know that."

"Yeah but I want you to choose tonight. It's Friday, we can have one of those movie nights, ya know? You have the day off tomorrow for the first time in a while, so I figured we can have dinner and then watch a movie."

Rick's heart skipped a beat but ignore the funny feelings, "Alright, how about...stuffed potato skins?" A smirk made its way onto Rick's face.

Carl gave a hum, "Well, something I haven't tried yet...I like a challenge. You're on."

Rick laughed, "Alright, well I gotta go. I love you, I'll see you when I get home."

"Okay, I love you too, bye."

"Bye." Rick locked his phone back up before setting it back into his cup holder.

Then the silence was back but only for a few minutes before Shane then opened his mouth.

"How is he?"

Without turning to look at him, Rick answered, "He's good."

Silence.

"Rick look I-"

"Don't," Rick turned to look at Shane with a disapproving stare, "We know where this is goin' to lead and I don't want to have the same conversation with you."

"The same conversation?" Shane scoffed, "C'mon man, every time I tried to talk to you, you never let me finish."

"Because I know what you're goin' to say man, honestly, it's going to be some bullshit excuse like, 'Rick I'm sorry' 'Rick let me explain' Rick this, Rick that. And honestly, I don't wanna hear it. I don't care about you two bein' together, or that Lori cheated on me with you, okay? I don't."

Shane gave him a look, "Then why do you still refuse to talk to me? To even look at me?"

"Because Lori left Carl. Just walked out without looking back, leaving everything she loved-or I thought she did-in the past. Even her own damn son. You two are just a big happy couple, new lives,  
new home, new relationship. And here I am, raising a kid on my own, picking up the pieces of a kid that you two broke. You two made everything so much harder on him and you won't even take any God damn responsibility. So you and Lori? You're out of the picture completely. You two made your choice, stop trying to help me make mine."

No one said anything again after that. Rick checked his time. 3:45. They should start driving back. Rick started the car back up and made his way to the station. By the time they got back, it was 3:55. Once they walked in, they went their separate ways. Rick went to his desk, getting ready to put his stuff away, but then his chief walked in.

"Hey Rick, I hate to do this to ya, but I kinda really need those files tonight. Do you think you can stay a little longer?"

Rick sighed but nodded, "Yeah, no problem."

The chief gave him a small, apologetic smile before nodding and walking away.

Rick sighed again and took his hat off before grabbing his phone to text Carl.

'Hey kiddo, I have to stay a little longer than expected. Boss wants these files finished before I leave. I don't know how long it'll be, can't be too long but don't wait up, okay? I love you'

Rick set his phone down an started on the files. After 5 minutes, his phone buzzed. he picked it up and smiled, seeing he got a text from Carl.

'Oh. Okay, well, I'm still going to make dinner, if you get home late I'll put them in the microwave for you. I love you too.'

Rick grinned before locking his phone and started finishing the files.

\--  
By the time he was done, it was already 6:07. Not too bad. 

Rick gathered all the files and saved everything on his computer before shutting it down. He then got up, switched the cop car keys for his regular car keys before grabbing his coffee cup that he set down and abandoned earlier and placing his hat on his head before shutting the lights off and closing his door and locking it.

He walked down to his boss's office and knocked lightly and received a muffled, "Come in."

Rick walked in and held up the files, "I finished all of them. A few were confusing but I think I figured them out."

Chief nodded before reaching for them and grabbing them and putting them in his filing cabinet.

"Thanks again Rick, I know I put a damper on your plans, again, I'm sorry."

Rick waved him off, "It's alright. Carl and I were just gonna eat dinner and watch a movie. It's not too late, so we can still do all those things."

His boss leaned forward on his desk, crossing his arms, "How is Carl?"

Rick gave a small smile at the  
mention of his son, "He's alright. Still trying to push through the divorce, and his nightmares," Rick sighed and crossed his arms, "but he's doing better."

His boss nodded, understanding, "Well, that's good to hear. You have a nice night, Rick. I'll see you Monday."

Rick nodded before walking out and shutting the door. He pulled his phone out to check for any text messages. None.

He stuffed his phone back into hos pocket before heading towards the front doors.

"Have a good evening, Sheriff," One said as Rick passed  
by their office. He tipped his hat and replied, "You too, Deputy."

Once Rick got into his car, he sighed in relief and set his coffee cup in the cup holder, plugged his phone in and sent a text to Carl.

'On my way home, I'll see you in a bit.'

Rick got an instant reply with 3 smiley faces and a heart. He chuckled and set his phone down and started the car before heading home.

\---

Rick sighed as he parked the car in the dive way. He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the headrest and took a deep breath. He was finally home, he can finally relax, eat dinner with Carl, and even watch a movie.

Rick took the keys out of the ignition and hopped out of the car, not forgetting to unplug his phone or grab his mug and hat. He pulled his house key and unlocked the front door. 

Once he stepped foot into the house, he was hit was the aroma of potatoes and melted cheese. He closed his eyes again and inhaled the scent, smiling. He set his hat on the table back of the couch and walked into the kitchen to find Carl pulling out a pan from the oven with 6 stuffed potatoes. When Carl saw him, his face light up. He quickly-carefully-set the potatoes down before sprinting to his dad and giving him a big bear hug.

Rick laughed and hugged back just as tight, "Hey kiddo," he kissed the top of Carl's head and rested his chin there.

Carl smiled and gripped his dad even tighter, "Hi dad."

Rick had a dopey smile on his face when they pulled away. The two stared at one another for a moment, caught up on the sight of each other. Rick was so mesmerized by the color of his son's eyes, how blue they were. Sure, his eyes were also blue but Carl's had a swirl of two different kinds of blue. They made his eyes look stunning.

Once Rick finally caught himself, he averted his eyes to the potatoes and smiled, "We ready to eat?"

Carl grinned and nodded before bouncing off to get the two plates. He put two on one plate and two on the other. He put some asparagus on each plate before putting one plate on one side of the table and set the other plate right across from it. 

Rick grabbed the mug he set down and uncapped it before setting it in the sink, rinsing it out. He sat at the table with his son and smiled across from him, "Thank you Carl."

Carl just grinned, "Well, I wanna make sure you're fed. Now that mom's outta the picture, who else is gonna take care of you?"

Rick gave him a sad smile, "I know baby, I know. But hey, I have you and you're all I need."

Carl blushed but smiled nonetheless, "So how was work?"

Rick smiled and took a bite of food, "It was long," he said after swallowing, "Had patrol duty today."

"With...?" Carl asked tentatively, already knowing the answer.

Rick nodded, "Yeah.."

"How'd that go?"

Rick sighed, "Not too bad. He asked about you though."

Carl froze, "What'd he say?" 

Rick shrugged, dragging his asparagus across his plate, "Just asked how you were. Asked-," Rick scoffed for a second, dropping his vegetable and wiping his hand across his mouth before looking down at his plate with a disbelieving look on his face, "-asked why I still refuse to talk to him."

Carl's face scrunched up and shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

It was silent for a moment before Rick decided to change subjects.

"How was your day?" Carl seemed to relax at this and smiled softly.

"It was good. Michonne dropped by when I got home, gave me that movie I've been asking to borrow. She's going on a cruise with her boyfriend tomorrow so she figured before she left, ya know?"

Rick nodded with a smile, "Yeah, which movie was it again?"

Carl grinned, "The Martian."

Rick chuckle and shook his head, "Carl, didn't that movie just come out? Like, it's still in theaters?"

Carl shrugged, "Michonne has her connections. Well, I'm pretty sure her boyfriend does but she claims that it's her so we just gotta go with it."

"Alright kiddo," Rick laughed, and took his last bite of food before getting up and setting his plate in the sink. 

Carl then got up and copied his father's actions before throwing his napkin away, "Do you still want to watch a movie?"

Rick smiled and threw an arm around Carl's shoulders, "Of course. Let me guess, The Martian?"

Carl grinned and nodded eagerly, causing Rick to chuckle again. Carl raced off to the living room, leaving Rick in the kitchen to wash the bit of dishes.

Ever since Carl was younger, he'd always want Rick and Lori to watch a movie with him before bed. He calls it his good luck charm, keeps the bad dreams away or at bay. But ever since Lori left, Carl didn't so much of anything.

He mostly kept to himself and stayed locked in his room. He'd only come out once or twice and that was to eat and use the restroom. But one day, Rick just couldn't stand the absence of his boy so he went to his door and talked to him. Carl would still refuse to come out but that didn't get Rick to back down. He stayed at his door all night and talked about anything and everything. And by the time morning came around, Carl finally stepped out and the two have been a team ever since, fighting through all the pain and hurt Lori and Shane've caused. 

At some point, Carl finally decided to cook dinner, clean and start up the movie tradition he created all those years ago.

Rick's never been happier, seeing his son taking care of himself again, it just shows how strong Carl is and how mature and grown up he's become. 

Rick couldn't be more proud.

"Dad!" Rick snapped out hos thoughts at the voice of Carl shouting from the living room.

"Hold on! I'm almost done kiddo," Rick quickly rinsed the last plate and put it in the dishwasher before adding dish detergent and starting it up.

He dried off his hands and made his way into the living room, smiling as he saw Carl sitting on the couch, flicking through a comic that was sitting on the table next to him.

"Ready?" Rick asked, plopping down next to his son, stretching his arm across the back of the couch. Carl's eyes brightened and nodded, putting the comic back where it was before grabbing the remote and pressing play.

Rick sat back and smiled when Carl snuggled into his side, making his heart melt. He placed his hand on his son's back and rubbed gently, feeling all the tension in the boy's body leave. He smiled, knowing he was the only one who can make him feel like this, he was the only one his son trusted.

In the middle of the movie, Rick was kist about to close his eyes when he felt his son shift in his arms. He looked down and saw Carl staring up at him with curious eyes.

"Hey," Rick said softly, running his hands up and down Carl's arm "You alright?"

Carl didn't reply, he just kept staring. Rick was about ask of he had something on his face when Carl suddenly leaned up, keeping eye contact with his dad. Rick's breath caught in his throat, knowing where this was headed. Carl paused, searching into his dad's eyes for some sort of 'go ahead'

Rick gulped but nodded nonetheless. And Carl took that extra push and then their lips met. 

Rick's heart was pounding so loud, he was sure Carl heard it also. Carl's lips felt so soft and unsure. Rick's hands drifted to Carl's sides, gently running his hands up and down, copying the ministrations he'd done just a minute before with Carl's arms. 

Carl wrapped his arms around Rick's neck, climbing onto his lap, straddling him to get a better angle. Rick smiled slightly before licking Carl's lower lip, gently asking, not demanding or forceful, going at Carl's own pace.

He got his answer when Carl slowly opened his mouth and their tongues met in the middle. Sparks shot through Rick's whole body, causing a startled groan to tumble out from his lips. Carl's arms tightened around his neck before letting out a small moan. 

Rick whimpered against his son's mouth and tightened his hold on him, pulling as close as he can. 

Carl began to gently grind again the older one and Rick's hands were quick to snatch his hips in his palms and hold him still.

Carl whined into his mouth and tried to move again but Rick's hold was firm, he wasn't going anywhere. Carl whined again.

Rick hummed before pulling away, "Nuh-uh, Carl," The two where breathing heavy, both panting hot air into the other's mouth. 

Carl whined once more before stuffing his face into the crook of his dad's neck, nipping at the skin gently. 

"We're gonna take this slow, okay?" Rick asked, closing his eyes and running his hands uo and down Carl's sides again, "Don't wanna rush this, alright?"

Rick felt Carl nod against his neck and felt a light kiss pressed there. He smiled and pulled Carl away and looked at his face.

And damn, has his son always looked this beautiful? His hair was slightly disheveled, cheeks rosy red, lips slightly swollen. God, he was a masterpiece.

He smiled at him and gently ran his fingers through his hair and gave him a soft peck before speaking.

"How about we go to bed, huh?, it's getting pretty late."

Carl nodded and climbed off his dad's lap. Rick stood up after and stretched. When he relaxed back into his regualr stance, he smiled at Carl and nodded his head towards the stairs, "Go on up and change, I'll be up in a second, I'm gonna lock all the doors and such."

Carl nodded and headed towards the stairs but not before leaning up and snatching one last, long kiss. 

When he pulled away, Rick had a dopey smile on his face, "Go on," he said softly. Carl smiled and headed on up. 

Rick's smile remained as he scratched his chin. He grabbed the remote and shut off the T.V. as the credits to the movie rolled and went to the kitchen. He put the left over stuffed potatoes in a container and put them in the fridge before leaving the kitchen and shutting off the light. He went to the front door, made sure it was locked, along with all the windows. Once he believed everything was secure, he shut off the living room light and made his way upstairs. One he got into his room, he saw Carl already in bed, on his phone typing. 

Upon hearing the door open, Carl looked up and smiled at his dad.

"Hey."

Rick smiled, "Hey, you ready for bed?"

Carl nodded and locked his phone before cuddling further into the blankets as his dad got changed.

Rick took his gun and holster off, placing his gun back in the dresser drawer, under a pile of shirts. He took off all of his badges, setting them all on the dressed and began to unbutton his shirt. He took off his white shirt, deciding it was too hot to wear one and threw them both in the hamper. He then undid his pants and tossed them in the same direction before pulling on his pajama pants.

He turned just as Carl threw the covers back on his side and patted the vacant spot with a smile. 

Rick chuckled and slid in, turning off the lamp and then turning to face Carl.

"Hey," Carl said softly.

Rick gave a small smile before brushing his hair out of his face, "Hey yourself."

Carl smiled and leaned over, kissing Rick softly before lying back down and closing his eyes, "I love you."

Rick smiled gently and pulled Carl closer, "I love you two." and closed his eyes, falling alseep almost instantly.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here it is! The last chapter. Now, this ended up being nearly 4k words but I got so lazy guys. I wished it was longer, I just didn't know what to add.
> 
> ALSO: READ THE ENDING NOTES FOR INFO ABOUT PROMPTS.
> 
> Well, enjoy guys!!

2 weeks passed and things were better than ever. The only downside of their relationship was that Rick always has work and Carl has school. So they'd only have about an hour to two with each other and then bed time. But they manage, as a team.  
Carl was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on Friday. School let out early, power outage. Carl didn't have the car so he got a ride from Sophia. He asked if she wanted to stay and watch movies but she kindly declined, saying she had to meet Josh, her boyfriend, at her place. 

The school had no idea when the power would be out so as for now, school was canceled until further notice. And Carl was on board with it all. Carl finally settled on a movie, and snuggled deeper into the blanket he had draped over him just as his phone started to ring. He glanced at it and grinned when he saw his dad's name and face pop up. He quickly unlocked it, answering.

"Hey."

"Hey," Rick said, surprise evident in his voice, "I didn't think you'd answer, with you having class and all, so I was going to leave a voicemail."

Carl laughed, "They let school out early, there was a power outage, so they just let us out. They said school's cancelled until it's fixed."

"Ah," Rick said, understanding, "Well, I just called to say that I'll be home a little earlier today."

Carl's grin grew impossibly bigger, "Really?" His voice showed how excited he was, the two finally had time together for the first time since they started.

Rick chuckled on the other end, "Yeah, I finished most of my files and got someone else to go on patrol with Shane." Carl let out a sound (maybe a squeal?) of happiness and sat up, "When will you be home?"

"Maybe an hour, hour and a half. Do you want to order pizza tonight and we can just relax?"

Carl smiled and sighed at the thought, "Totally, pizza sounds great. And so does spending time with you," His voice got softer, "I miss you."

Rick had a soft smile on his face, "I miss you too baby, but hey, tomorrow's Saturday."

Carl smiled and nodded, though Rick can't see him, "I know, so I take it you have no work?"

Rick chuckled, "Nope, none. You have me for a full day."

Carl smirked, "Hmm, I have you for a whole day...what ever will I do?" Carl chuckled.

"Hey now," Rick warned in a whisper, voice filled with amusement, "Keep those naughty thoughts to your naughty self."

Carl threw his head back and laughed, "Alright, I'll see you when you get home, yeah?"

Rick chuckled, "Sure buddy. I love you, okay?"

Carl smiled softly and burrowed deeper in his cocoon of blankets and relaxed into the warm heat, "I love you too," He said, leaving a fuzzy feeling in his belly, a nice, warm fuzzy feeling, "Bye."

Carl hung up and sunk into the couch, a nice, soft smile plastered on his face and closed his eyes, soaking up the warmth he's feeling. He was imagining what he'd do when his father got home. Maybe they'd watch a movie, maybe they'll cuddle and watch a movie...maybe they'll just make out and forget the movie's even there. Carl smiled at the thought and tried to think of more that the two could finally do, figuring this would be a limited amount of time and who knows when they'll have this opportunity again? 

That only lasted 2 minutes.

The house phone started to ring, startling Carl out of his trance-like state and looked around for it and saw one of the hand sets on the cradle by the T.V. He groaned and escaped his little nest and sluggishly made his way to retrieve the phone. He looked at the caller I.D. and noticed it wasn't a number he recognized. He contemplated on whether he should answer it or not. After 2 more rings, he decided 'fuck it' before answering it. 

"Hello?" He asked.

"Carl?" Wrong choice. 

"M-mom?" No, this was so not happening. God, please no. Why now? Why when everything was going perfectly fine, why does his mom choose now to ruin it? 

"Hi, sweetie," She sniffles and Carl catches his urge to just scoff because, really? She's the one crying? After everything she's done to this family, done to his dad? And she's the one crying?

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to keep the anger out of his voice as much as he can.

Lori doesn't seem to notice, "To talk, to apologies."

Carl doesn't hold in his scoff this time, "Really? Don't you think it's a little late for that? It's not me you should be apologizing to anyway."   
Carl glared at the wall in front of him, hoping it would somehow travel to Lori.

Lori sighed, "Look, Carl, you have to understand-"

"Understand what?" Carl asked fiercely, interrupting her, "That you'd choose Shane over us? Choose to screw him while dad works late and I have study dates after school? Huh?"

"Watch your mouth young man!" Lori snapped, "I'm still your mother and you will respect me as such, do you understand?"

Carl let a small growl rip from his throat, "You have no right to tell me what to do. I haven't heard from you since you left and you think you have the right to just suddenly call and try and make thing right? Like I'm going to suddenly forget and forgive for what you caused? Do you understand what you put dad through? But ya know what? He put his own damn selfishness away and ended up helping me through it all even though he was the one you cheated on. But you cheated on this family, choosing to make another with a man who you claimed was a pig when you first met him. You disgust me and nothing will ever make me think different," Carl was panting after that, anger and sadness washing over him like a wave.

"I'm sorry," Was all Lori said, "I don't know what else to say, okay? I made a mistake, but Carl, I'm happy, and I don't regret what I did, alright? What, want me to lie and say I wish I've never cheated on your dad? Because I won't, Carl, I haven't been this happy in a while, you need to understand that."

Now that hurt. Shit, that really hurt, "You-," He tried but his voice cracked. He cleared his throat and swallowed before trying again, "You weren't happy with us? With me? Or dad? With our family?"

"Sweetie," Lori tried but Carl cut her off again.

"Don't!" He hissed, voice filled with venom. He felt tears running down his face but ignored them for the time being, "I don't want to hear it. I hate you, don't you ever fucking call me or dad again," And before Lori can say another thing, Carl hung up. His face scrunched up and the phone ended up slipping from his loose grip, him not too far behind. He fell to his knees and let a sob. She didn't care, she chose who meant more, who she really wanted and it wasn't easy for Carl to swallow. He knew he'd have to face her again, his dad wasn't fully divorced, still having some more paper work to fill out and then the court date. 

But that was in the future. Now, Carl was still trying to get the whole phone call out of his head, trying to erase it all. He needed his dad, where was his dad? Why wasn't he here? Why wasn't he holding him, he needs his dad.

Carl lifted his head that suddenly felt really heavy, tears still freely falling down his cheeks and sniffled before slowly standing up. He picked the phone back up and cried again, the conversation still fresh in his mind.

'I haven't been this happy in a while' 

Carl let out a sob before sobering up some, squeezing his eyes shut and then placing the phone back on the cradle. He then made his way back to the couch and looked around for his phone in a haste. 

He found it and with shaky fingers, he unlocked his phone and went to his contacts before finding his dad's name. He didn't hesitate and quickly clicked on the call button and held it up to his ear, trying to hold in another sob that threatened to break from his lips. 

His dad answered on the second ring, "Miss me already?" He joked. 

The sob that Carl was trying to hold in ended up breaking free, loud and ugly, "Dad..."

Rick was now on full alert, "Carl? What happened? Are you okay? C'mon baby, talk to me."

Carl sniffed and wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve, "M-mom called, she-...she said some things and-and can you come home r-right now? P-p-please?"

"Of course baby, I'll be home within 10 minutes, alright? I'm on my way home."

Carl nodded and then dropped his phone and curled up on top of the blankets that he was safe in, just moments before. Now, he lay out and exposed. 

\----

Rick quickly hung up and grabbed his hat. He just shut off his monitor, deciding to worry about that later, right now, he just has to get to   
Carl. He put his hat on, grabbed his mug and car keys before making his was to the chief's office. He gave a few quick knocks and waited impatiently for his boss to answer.

A muffled "come in" gave him the go to walk in. He opened the door and saw Shane sitting in one of the seats that was palced in front of the chief's desk. He turned and looked at Rick with a look that didn't make Rick all to comfortable.

"Uhh," He said, "I'm sorry for, er, interrupting, but I have to head home, something's come up and Carl needs me right now."

Shane seemed to perk an interest at the mention of Carl, his body ever so slightly turning more to face Rick.

"Is he alright?" His boss asked, concern evident in his face. 

Rick sighed, "Yeah it's just," He placed his hand on his hip and looked down before peeking up at the two from the brim of his hat. He really didn't want to say this with Shane near, but if it got him out quickly, "My ex wife called and Carl's still trying to get through the whole divorce thing and I guess whatever she's said to him really hot him hard and I just really have to go so," He made a gesture with his thumb, a pleading look on his face.

His boss nodded, "Go ahead son, your boy needs you."

Rick's face instantly washed with relief and said a rushed 'thank you' before he quickly made his way to the exit at a quick walking speed. He quickly walked to his car, fumbling with the keys for a moment before unlocking his door as fast as he can and jerked the door open and got in, taking off his hat and setting his mug in the cup holder before starting the car and speeding towards his house, towards his son. 

\---

Carl was still on the couch, curled into a tight ball. His sobs have subsided and he can only wish the same for the tears but they just kept falling and he was hiccuping. God, he hated crying. 

Then suddenly, the door burst open and his dad finally, finally walked through the door, hat on and a concerned look on his face. Carl immediately sprung up and bolted for his dad, jumping into his arms and wrapped his legs around the older mans waist while his arms wound around his neck. He buried his face into his dad's shoulder and clung onto him as his dad wrapped his strong arms around his smaller body and held on tightly.

"I got you now sweetheart," Rick whispered, running his hand up and down his back softly, "I got you,"

Carl pulled back and looked at his dad with glossy eyes before leaning in a pushing their lips together. He closed his eyes tightly and wove his hand into his dad's curly hair and tugged gently, causing Rick to let out a moan. 

Carl didn't miss his opportunity, he quickly added his tongue and nudged his dad's tongue gently with his, calling a war. He knew just how to push his dad buttons in the right way and he used it to his full advantage.

His dad gladly excepted and the two were in a fight of dominance. Carl tried as much as he could, but with Rick being the strongest one, he quickly over powered him and took over the kiss. Rick's hand went to Carl's neck, trying to pull the boy as close as possible. He nipped at his son's lip gently before licking it, causing a soft moan to escape from Carl's lips.

Carl turned his head to the side to get a better angle and deepened the kiss, pouring as much love and passion as possible into this one simple kiss. 

Rick was starting to lose his breath so he kissed Carl for a few seconds longer before pulling away, not much, their lips were brushing together, and looked at his son's face, trying to read him. The two were panting heavily and Carl had his eyes closed, and his eye brows were slightly stitched together. Rick just wanted to get sooth the wrinkles with his thumb but that would require setting Carl down and he didn't want to do that quite yet. 

"Carl?" He asked gently, his breathing back to him one pant at a time.

Carl opened his eyes and his face instantly relaxed, his eyes filling with adoration and love and Rick had to bite his lip to keep from smiling so big because, damn, this boy was all his and no one would take him away. 

"You alright?" He whispered, going back to rubbing Carl's back. Carl nodded and closed his eyes and taking a deep breath through his nose and slowly letting it out.

"I-" He tried, his eyes squeezed shut and he took another deep breath, "I'm better, now that you're here," He opened his eyes and looked at his dad, "I missed you. Please," Carl whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head back into the crook of Rick's neck, "Please don't leave me. Please, I don't wanna make you unhappy, I don't want you to leave." Carl began to tremble and grip onto his father even tighter.

Rick, for his part, was in complete shock. What the hell did Lori say to him? Why would Carl think he was unhappy? That he was going to leave him? Rick's face hardened suddenly and a look of hatred filled it out. His grip on Carl tightened as he glared at the wall behind Carl.   
Did Lori say that he was the reason she was unhappy? Just the thought of it caused his stomach to tighten. He kissed Carl's neck where his shoulder and neck met and rested his chin on his shoulder.

"I'm never leaving you baby," Rick promised, "Ever."

Carl nodded and began to loosen his grip from Rick, exhaustion taking over. 

Rick sensed that the boy wouldn't be holding on any longer and gripped under his thighs and began to make his way to the couch and gently set him on the pile of blankets that were vacant from earlier. Carl instantly snuggled into the warmth and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 

Rick watched him for a bit, running his hands through his hair and kissed his cheek softly, "I love you," He whispered into his ear. Carl made a soft noise and relaxed more into the couch with a younger looking face on as he slept. Rick gave a half smile before standing up, grabbing the blanket that was pooled at the end of the couch and gently draped it over Carl, smiling when the boy gave a tiny smile in his sleep. God, he was beautiful and all his.

Rick sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face, not knowing what to do about the situation. He decided to just distract himself for the time being and went to clean the kitchen from last nights dishes. 

He liked to separate everything and clean them in a certain order. First the cups, bowls, plates, pans, pots and silverware. Call it what you might, it's just an order he's been doing since he was 16. Right as he finished loading the dishwasher and was about to add the detergent when the phone was ringing.

"Crap," He muttered, drying his hands quickly and went to the phone hanging up on the wall and picking it up before taking a quick peek at   
Carl to make sure he was still asleep. Satisfied that his son was still asleep, he put the phone to his ear with a 'hello'.

"Rick?" Oh great...

Rick sighed and placed a hand in his forehead, "What do you want?"

"Look," Lori began, "I know you're upset with me and I know I upset Carl but can I please talk to him? I want to say I'm sorry, I should have never had said what I did." She pleaded. 

"Carl's asleep, I'm not going to wake him up just so you can say something else that'll set him off again. I mean, what were you thinking? You know he has nightmares and you should know they're not getting any better! What makes you think that saying what you said was okay? Huh? Tell me that," Rick was beyond pissed. Lori just doesn't know when to stop.

"Look," Lori said, and Rick can hear the irritation in her voice, "I didn't mean to say it, it just slipped out, alright? He's my son also and I have every right to talk to him, you can't keep me from talking to my boy!"

Rick growled, "That's up to him; and so far, you're on the losing side. Carl chose to live with me, he chooses when he wants to see you and when he wants to talk to you. You haven't spoken to him in a month Lori. You acted as if he doesn't exist, do you know what kind of a toll that puts on a teenage boy? But he's getting past it, he's passin' all his classes, helps 'round the house, and helps with grocery's. And there you are, with Shane, nice and cosy in your house with your new family, acting as if you never left another on behind. I don't blame Carl for keeping his distance from you, not at all. You two deserve it."

It was silent for a beat and then, "Fuck you Rick."

Rick crossed his free arm over his chest and leaned against the wall with a thoughtful look, "Nah, you've already done that part with Shane."

Lori let out an angered sound, "Carl's mine just as much as he's yours, I'm going to talk to him one way, or another." And the sad part it, she sounds so confident. Rick shook his head in displeasure. 

"Good luck with that. Now look, while you keep up with your whole plan thing, I'm going to order dinner. Carl's going to be up soon and he's going to be hungry. Goodbye," Right as he hung up, he heard Lori give out an angry huff, causing him to chuckle and set the phone back onto the cradle.

Now that that was taken care of, he went to the fridge and looked at the variety of pizza places they can order from. Rick grabbed the Dominos card, Dominos was always Carl's favorite. He went back to the phone and ordered two large pizza's. One pepperoni with olives and the other with chicken, both of them with cheese stuffed crusts, just how Carl liked them. 

Rick then went into the living room and sat on the opposite couch that Carl was sleeping on, figuring he'd just wake the boy when he the pizza got here. He relaxed on the couch and watched the T.V. but not really paying attention to it. His mind kept running back to Carl, Lori, Shane, their situation. He knew Lori was ruthless, knew she made her choice but how could a mother be so...so heartless to do the things like Lori's done to Carl, and right when Carl was doing so much better.

When Rick married Lori, he thought she was the one, they'd be a happy family, and nothing could go wrong. But then after a few years of Carl's birth, Shane and Lori's moods were...different. Whenever the two were in the same room as one another, they'd avoid one another and become tense and only got worse when Rick or Carl would walk in.

Rick had his suspicions, and they only grew the more secretive the two got. Rick knew they two were drifting and Rick knew there was no fixing it. He was only proven right when he walked in on the two making out on the couch. And the worst part? Carl was right beside him, just as shocked. His bag that he was holding fell, making a loud thud roam around the room and that's what caused the two to break apart, both with terrified expressions. 

Lori'd tried to explain, kept apologizing. And Shane stood there awkwardly as Carl stood there, head down. Then Rick kicked her and Shane out, and then she packed a few bags and walked out with Shane. And then that's when Carl locking himself up in his room started.

"Sometimes I wonder if you even care about us at all." That's what Lori told him once.

Turns out, she was the one who didn't care. 

The doorbell rang, startling Rick out of his thoughts and looked at Carl to make sure he didn't wake up. He wasn't. Rick got up and walked to the door, fishing his wallet out of his pocket and opening it up as he opened the door.

He quickly exchanged the pizza and money, giving a nod of thanks then closing the door. He made his way to the kitchen and set the pizza down on the table before going to Carl to wake him up.

He stopped in front of his son and watched him sleep for a few seconds more with a smile before kneeling and running his hands through the soft strands of Carl's hair before waking him.

"Carl," He whispered, earning a small groan from the boy. He chuckled and tried again, "C'mon babe, I got pizza."

That seemed to do the trick. Carl's eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times before looking at his dad, "Food?"

Rick gave a laugh, "Yeah kiddo, there's food."

Carl smiled and pushed himself up, balancing himself up on one arm and gave a sleepy yawn. He opened his eyes back up and looked at his dad was a look of sleepiness and content, making Rick's heart melt. 

Carl then leaned in a kissed him, putting his free hand in Rick's hair, tugging gently. Rick moaned and put his hand on Carl's neck, gently stroking his jaw with his thumb before pulling away, a goofy smile on his face, eyes still closed.

"Let's go eat," He whispered, opening his eyes and watching as Carl's eyes slowly open and a smile spread across his face before nodding.

Rick stood up, grabbing his son's hand and pulled him up with a grunt, "You need to go on a diet," He joked.

Carl faked an offended look and slapped Rick's stomach, "You're so mean," He pouted and stomped away into the kitchen, leaving a   
laughing Rick behind.

Rick continued to laugh as he followed Carl, "C'mon, I love you," He said, still laughing. He grabbed onto Carl's arm gently and tugged, making Carl turn and stumble into his arms, still grumbling nonsense. Nonetheless, Carl still hugged back.

Rick smiled and kissed his head and ran his hands up and down his back, a habit he's gotten fond of. Pulling away, Rick swooped down and kissed Carl one more time before pulling away and grabbing his hand, pulling him to the table.

"I got your favorites, and the stuffed crusts, because why not," Rick said, grabbing their plates and handing one to Carl who grabbed it eagerly and threw a box open. 

Carl grabbed 3 slices before sitting down and digging into the pizza as soon as he sat down. Rick chuckled, grabbed 2 slices of his own and sitting next to Carl. The two ate in silence, the only sound in the room was from the clock above the window and their chewing. 

"How was work?" Carl finally asked, looking up as he reached for another slice of pizza. 

Rick shrugged, "It went fine. Got outta patrolling today, so there's that. Had to finish up some files on a few missing cases, had a meeting with some deputies."

Carl nodded. He always listened to what his dad had to say, no matter if it was a topic he was uninterested in; he listened and gave Rick his full attention. 

"Do they know how the power went out in school?" Rick asked, wiping his mouth from any pizza sauce.

Carl stood up before heading toward the fridge, "No...well, they think it's rats in the walls, chewin' at things? They also think that's one of the reasons why the fire alarm's been going off the past couple of days," He grabs two cokes and brings them to the table, setting one in front of Rick, who nodded in thanks, before sitting down. 

"Hmm," Rick says, opening his can, "Seems to me your school has a few issues."

Carl nodded, opening his own can. Then it was back to their comfy silence. 

Rick knew the topic was being avoided, but they had to talk about it, sooner or later and Rick wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, like ripping off a band-aid. So, he just went for it.

"You're mother called earlier."

Carl froze mid drink for a split second before slowly setting his can down and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. He nodded and looked down at his last slice of a half eaten pizza.

"What'd she say?" He asked quietly, shy, as if the answer was going to actually kill him.

Rick sighed, he hated putting Carl in this position, "She was just saying how she had ever right to talk to you, how she wanted to apologise and all this other crap," Rick grabbed his plate and stood up. 

Carl remained silent, focusing on the sound of his dad washing off his plate and setting it in the dish washer. He didn't know what to do. He really didn't want to face his mom or talk to her and it pained him, knowing that she won't give up. 

He suddenly felt strong hands clamp onto his shoulders and felt them rub into his muscles roughly, making his close his eyes and let out a pleased moan. 

"I know you're stressed baby," Rick whispered into his ear, kissing it gently, "But don't think about it right now, okay? Let's enjoy our Friday,   
yeah? I was thinking we go into the living room, put on a movie until we fall asleep?"

Carl smiled at the plan, Rick still massaging his shoulders, relaxing him more by the second. He gave a lazy nod and whined when Carl pulled away, leaning back to chase his touch.

Rick smiled and kissed his cheek, "C'mon, put the rest of the slice in with the box and set your plate in the sink. I'll go put the movie in, yeah?"

Carl hummed and smiled, "Captain America?"

"The Winter Soldier?" Rick asked with a raised eyebrow, smiling when his son nodded eagerly, "You got it kiddo."

He quickly went to the living room as he listen to Carl do his chore before he joined him on the couch. 

"Ready?" He asked, slinging an arm around the boy as he snuggled closer to his son.

Carl nodded and Rick pressed play. 

Half way through the movie, Rick felt Carl get heavier and heavier before he looked down and saw Car asleep, mouth slightly open. He smiled and turned the movie off then picking Carl, careful not to wake him before carrying him upstairs into his room. He laid him in the bed gently before pulling his son's jeans off gently, along with his socks, leaving him in just his boxers and t-shirt. He pulled a sheet over him and quickly tip-toed out of the room to shut everything off.

He locked all the doors, checked the windows, and then set the pizza in the oven before shutting off the lights and making his way upstairs.   
Once he closed the door quietly, he tugged his jeans and t-shirt off, feeling warm.

He then slipped under the covers with Carl and smiled at the sleeping boy and wrapped his arm around his torso, pulling him closer. Carl   
subconsciously moved into his arms, pressing his back against Rick's bare chest. Rick smiled and kissed his shoulder before relaxing against the pillows with a small smile.

"I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! First fic down! I hope you all enjoyed.   
> Okay, now, let's talk business;
> 
> So I'll start taking prompts. Now, I can't promise you when I'll get them done but I'll do my best! So yeah, tell me what you guys would like me to write and it HAS to be Rick/Carl related! But yeah, that's happening! ^-^
> 
> So, as usual, kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated and I'll be major grateful. Again; thank you all for reading, and don't forget the prompts! Lots of love!!

**Author's Note:**

> And there ya have it! Like it? Please, kudos and comments are much appreciated and I'll be hella happy guys. Now, I don't want any negativity on here, anything about how it's "gross" or "wrong" because I will gladly put your comment in the trash right next to your manners.
> 
> But hey, I was thinking of making a part two, what do you all think? Again, thank you all for reading and I hope I'll have time to write more. I'll probably be taking prompts soon also, so keep an eye out! Love you guys!!


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